360PR Blog

By Caitlin McNamara

In the wake of the 8.9 earthquake that hit Japan on March 11, 2011, and a following tsunami, many took out their phones to call their loved ones but soon found out that the lines were down. So what was next? Social media, of course.
 
Under one hour after the earthquake devastated Japan, Google launched their “Person Finder”  application on their homepage. The “Person Finder” was built by the Google Crisis Response team, which is made up of a philanthropic group under the Google umbrella. The “Person Finder” is an interactive database in English and Japanese that allows users to search for missing persons online or submit information about people who are injured or are missing. To date, there are approximately 7,200 records being tracked on “Person Finder.” Not only is this database being used for the Japanese earthquake/tsunami, but was also used for the Haiti earthquake and the Christchurch earthquake.
 
Twitter, with an estimated 10 million active users in Japan, spiked with Japanese related hashtags, such as #prayforJapan, #Fukushima and #Sundai. #TokyoDisneyland also soon shot up in the trending list as a TwitPic was released of Japanese tourists sitting in the middle of the earthquake at Disneyland. Many people have also used Twitter to state their grief for those in Japan as well as their concerns on other aspects of the disaster. 
 
While Facebook is one of the top social media outlets in the world, its popularity has not translated equally in Japan. Similar to Facebook is the social media outlet, Mixi, which is Japan’s largest social network. However, many Americans overseas in Japan have utilized Facebook to spread a mass note to their family and friends letting them know that they are alive and well.
 
Lastly, mobile networks such as AT&T have begun using text messaging to help raise funds. AT&T wireless customers can text “REDCROSS” to 90999 to give a $10 donation to help Red Cross with disaster relief support. No text message fees will apply. This offer lasts until March 31.  
 
As more and more reports are released on the aftermath of the horrific earthquake and tsunami in Japan, many will continue to use social media as a way to communicate not only their locations, but also as a way to vent their frustrations and grieve their losses. Social media has become a way to spread awareness throughout the world in a matter of seconds. We will continue to look to social media as an up to the minute resource on the Japanese disaster, and we will all continue to pray for #Japan.

Filed under: Charity, FaceBook, Social Media, Social Networking by Admin - 1 Comment →

Can you believe it? It has been 5 years, since the first tweet was tweeted. Since 2006, Twitter has permeated our culture and is used by all walks of life around the globe, from politicians and celebrities to charitable organizations and brands! It is hard to imagine our lives without the ability to share a thought or experience via the infamous 140-characters that Twitter allows. So, Congrats to the folks at Twitter and here’s to many more years of tweets to come!

Check out this video released on the Twitter blog, featuring a number of VIPs talking about how they use Twitter. Who knew?! Snoop Dog follows Martha Stewart!

Filed under: Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking by EliciaBasoli - No Comments →

By Caitlin Melnick

SXSW is known to many as the conference of all conferences. And as a first timer, I would have to say, it was pretty amazing. The Interactive portion of SXSW (SXSWi) wrapped up earlier this week, and what I heard from veteran attendees is that this year’s conference was bigger and better than ever. More attendees, more panels sessions, more brands, more parties, more technology, more brain power – all in one Southern city.

You can’t get away from the new technology at SXSW. Group texting services emerged during the event, with GroupMe, Fast Society, and Beluga all vying for the number one spot. The social influence measurement site, Klout, was also all the rage, with people asking “What’s your Klout score?” several times a day. The site has created a system to measure influence in the social media arena. It uses over 35 variables on Facebook and Twitter to provide a score based on True Reach, Amplification Probability, and Network. Klout Founder Joe Fernandez just may be the next Mark Zuckerberg!

SXSW has evolved to be one of the best forums for social media insights for brands, with sessions like The Council of PR Firms’ “Marketing Budgets Have Gone Social – Is It Working?” At a session entitled, “Brand Mascots in the Digital Age,” panelists discussed how to get classic brand mascots, such as Tony the Tiger and Cap’n Crunch, into the digital world without losing their classic persona.

How was your SXSW experience?

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Interactive Marketing, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media by Admin - No Comments →

If the Favorites folder on your browser is chock-full or you often find yourself saving links and images to re-visit them down the line, you’ll want to keep tabs on Pinterest, self-described as “a place to catalog the things you love.”

Essentially, Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board where users ‘pin’ things they find interesting – recipes, images, products, quotes, etc. – to their own boards which are categorized by theme. The option to ‘repin’ an item that another user covets is where the social aspect of the site comes in. Repinning is highly encouraged and you can also “follow” other users and their collections to receive updates on friends’ pins and site activity. Social media junkies will be pleased to find that Pinterest is integrated seamlessly with Facebook and Twitter.

Pinterest is too early in its infancy to tell how it will ultimately affect companies, but judging by its current content, Pinterest could serve as a cultivation point for brand fans and those passionate about spreading the word about everything from diamond-studded shoes to cheese knives to snow globes.

Though it’s unclear exactly when Pinterest began welcoming users, blogs including Apartment Therapy have been buzzing about the Palo Alto, CA-based site since last spring. Still in BETA, Pinterest is currently invite-only. For more information, check out Pinterest’s official blog, Oh, How Pinteresting!, here. Tastemakers pining to pin can request an invite here.

Filed under: Internet, Retail, Social Media, Social Networking by SkyeMcIntyre - 3 Comments →

Over the past year, we’ve seen more and more brands going beyond just using Facebook for pure engagement with consumers. Many are now using it as a commerce platform as well – and it makes perfect sense. For one,  consumers often look for coupons or discounts from brands on social platforms (according to a 2010 study*, when asked what type of interaction people are looking for when engaging with companies/brands online, 77% of respondents said they are looking for incentives).

If consumers are pro-actively seeking sales-related messages, why not actually SELL products where they “live” on Facebook? Go for it. Just make sure that your brand’s sales-related messages are not too intrusive.

So how do you sell on Facebook? Facebook storefronts are often developed by third-party software developers who integrate a ”Shop Now” section into a brand’s existing page. This allows retailers, like Best Buy, and brands themselves, like Pampers, to showcase products on their page and, more importantly, make those products “shareable” to consumers. The Pampers example is particularly noteworthy, as it was P&G’s first foray into the F-commerce space  and they launched their store using Amazon.com’s eCommerce capabilities, last fall.

They’re not alone. 1800flowers.com, diapers.com, and Hallmark are just a few others that have jumped into F-commerce. Mashable lists some other examples in this recent article.

Have you ever purchased anything, as a result of clicking around on a brand’s Facebook page?

*Source: Cone 2010 Consumer New Media Study, October 2010

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, FaceBook, Interactive Marketing, Internet, Social Media, Social Networking by EliciaBasoli - 1 Comment →

If you or your company has a Facebook “Page”, you’ve likely heard about the new changes that will be implemented for brands (the official launch date is March 10th). These changes will require some adaptation in the design of your page, and possibly the administration of it as well. In a nutshell:

• Tabs are now gone and have been replaced with a list of content categories below the profile image. This means content previously viewed in tabs is now less prominent to visitors. Moving forward, brands should prioritize what content they want to appear in this content list and how to leverage other new elements – profile image, etc. to draw attention to certain content.
• A new photo strip appears above the Page wall. Brands should keep a close eye on these photos, to ensure that they display content relevant to the  desired message.  This is going to be challenging to adapt to, as the photo strip is now so prominent. Check out this article on Journalistics.com, which calls this change “Fan Page Photo Roulette”.
• The wall will now feature content from either you only, or from Everyone. And, posts will be organized by the most popular content, as opposed to chronological content.
• Brands can now “Like” more Pages and comment on those Pages, as the brand (instead of the individual).
• Brands can now subscribe to email updates, when new content is added to the Wall. And, more importantly, brands can subscribe to email alerts when any profane language is posted by fans. This is particularly helpful for Brands that frequently have content like this to moderate.

When you play in the social media realm, brands loose some of the control that they have with their own websites, for example. It comes with the territory! Facebook is constantly keeping brands on their toes – whether they are revising their contest guidelines or mixing up brand page designs.

How have these changes impacted your Brand Page?

Filed under: Digital PR, FaceBook, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking by EliciaBasoli - 3 Comments →

By Amanda Gonzalez

It’s Valentine’s Day! Have you already picked up your card, chocolates, flowers, jewelry, etc?! If not, you better get on that pronto. But these Valentine’s Day staples aren’t the only way to show that special someone you care.

In a recent USAToday.com article, the newspaper shows us how marketers are using social media (like Facebook, Twitter, email, etc) to push their product and brand and help Valentines the world over display their affection in a unique way.

Mattel used Valentine’s Day to write another chapter in the epic love story of Barbie and Ken by asking fans to vote on whether or not the couple should get back together (they went their separate ways in 2004) and using Facebook and Twitter to give Ken a voice.  They also turned Barbie’s Facebook page into an online store on Valentine’s Day selling merchandise from the famous couple. FYI – they reunited today!!

We at 360PR also got into the Valentine’s Day promo mood as our Safety 1^st client launched a Valentine’s Day giveaway on both Facebook and Twitter of their new S1 product line. Not only did entrants get to enter for a great travel system, but they also got to post adorable pictures of their little lovies on Facebook AND $1 was donated for every entry towards infant health kits for families in need!

Have you chosen your Valentine yet?! Did you see any great Valentine’s Day promotions that you thought were clever/unique? Comment below and share!

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, FaceBook, Internet, Retail, Social Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized by Admin - 1 Comment →

Who doesn’t love an infographic? They’re so popular lately I wouldn’t be surprised if the term replaces ‘app’ as the most ubiquitous slang word of 2011. My most recent favorite infographic comes from the team @foursquare and it does a great job of showing the service’s growth (and quirky spirit) over the last year.

Foursquare’s latest blog post title sums it up: “So we grew 3400% last year.” While this Huffington Post article points out that a mere 4% of adults use location-based social networking tools, over 380 million check-ins is nothing to scoff at. Even more impressive, is a stat gleaned from a Bulldog Reporter session that the 360PR team participated in last week – worldwide, during a randomly chosen time period of 30 seconds, there were 44 foursquare check-ins on a single platform.

So where are foursquare users?  Everywhere from Wendy’s, to wine bars, to movie theaters, to space.  Yes, SPACE! Do you use foursquare or other similar geolocation services like Facebook Places?

Here’s hoping geolocation services continue to feed our love for infographics over the coming months.  (Check out CoolInfographics.com for some more data visualization.)

Filed under: Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking by SkyeMcIntyre - 1 Comment →

You may remember 360 Social’s round-up of 2009 social media moments from last year. Well, in 2010, we turned the proverbial mic over to Lindsay Durr and Skye McIntyre. In this video, Lindsay and Skye recap some of the top moments from this year including everything from the Old Spice campaign and the surge in group deal sites, to the trend of “underage and online” and TIME’s “Person of the Year,” Mark Zuckerberg. Check it out!

Did we miss anything? Share in the comments…

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, FaceBook, Internet, Social Marketing, Social Media, Social Networking, YouTube by EliciaBasoli - 2 Comments →

We’ve told you about our 360 “Tweet and Eat” lunches before. But, this month we put a different spin on it – instead of the middle of the day, we gathered in the conference room at the end of the day, so we could all enjoy a cocktail or two while sharing some interesting case studies around the use of social media. Here are just a few highlights:

Ford Explorer Facebook Reveal – Earlier this year, Ford took a risk by revealing the new Explorer with an online and Facebook-central campaign, something that other auto-makers have never done. They revealed the new Explorer for the first time on Facebook, instead of at a big auto show. In the first day it surpassed its goal of 30K fans and, as a result, gave a free Explorer to one random fan. In addition all of the components of the campaign on Facebook, Ford heavily invested in ad buys as well to drive people to Facebook and to encourage engagement. This is a great example of a fully integrated online campaign. Check out the full case study on Mashable.

Google Zeitgeist Video - Google has compiled a video, with the help of Whirled Creative, showing how the world searched online in 2010. Over 1.5 million views on YouTube thus far! The most brilliant part of this video is that it subtly shows off some new Google features that launched this year, such as Google Instant. We highly suggest checking out the video – well done, Google!

“Rent is Too Damn UP” Spoof Video – By coincidence, another examples highlighted by staff also came from Whirled Creative. If you haven’t heard of Jimmy McMillan he ran for office in NY earlier this fall and named his political party the “Rent is too damn high” party. Really, that was the name of his party. The eccentric McMillan appeared during a televised debate and the video garnered millions of views on YouTube. Whirled Creative created a spoof mash-up, overlaying the voices from the debate onto a scene from the Pixar movie “UP” which has received over 300,000 views. Perfect example of a “viral” video leveraging current events to garner views.

Happy Holidays!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, FaceBook, Internet, Social Media, Social Networking, YouTube by EliciaBasoli - 1 Comment →

Being a Bostonian means two things for certain:  1) You know that the weather outside is not going to get better for the next three months, and 2) You have driven, ridden in, or at least seen a Zipcar in the past couple of years.  The Cambridge-based car-sharing service has filled its hometown with cars of all makes and models, parked in garages, on street corners and in supermarket parking lots, while at the same time expanding into major markets all across the country (and abroad). 

On Tuesday morning, I had the pleasure of listening to a talk given by Rob Weisberg, Chief Marketing Officer of Zipcar at the Ad Club’s monthly CMO Breakfast.  The hour-long presentation focused on the ways that the brand is using social media to engage its customers, and here are a couple of quick things I found interesting about their social media strategy:

Twitter

-     Zipcar operates specific Twitter accounts in each major market where they have a presence, ensuring that all of the information they share via Twitter is relevant to the people following them.  This localized effort certainly requires some extra bandwidth, but is extremely important when operating as an on-the-ground, in-market brand.

Facebook

-     Offering services on 250 college campuses across the country, Zipcar also maintains a Facebook page for each of these

Filed under: Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Interactive Marketing, Social Media, Uncategorized by JohnLeRoy - No Comments →

And I don’t mean the chocolate candy (although a Snickers sounds pretty good right about now)! The other SNCR (aka The Society of New Communications Research) held its 5^th Annual Research Symposium & Awards Gala recently in Palo Alto. John and I both were thrilled to attend and honored to accept two  “2010 Excellence in New Communications Awards” for 360PR!

Each year SNCR honors various individuals and organizations who are pioneering the use of social media. 360 was recognized for our work with Dorel Juvenile Group USA and their Safety 1^st brand (Multiple Platforms/Integrated initiatives category), as well as our work on behalf of You CAN Do the Rubik’s Cube (Online Publishing/ Facebook category). We are pumped to be among this group of 2010 winners, which included Old Spice, the 2010 SNCR Brand of the Year.

Actually, in addition to the awards ceremony, the highlight of the symposium was when Old Spice brand manager James Moorhead, presented the “Smell Like a Man, Man” campaign case study. The campaign, which Cindy blogged about this summer, has led to almost 2 billion impressions to date! A truly unbelievable viral success!

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Social Marketing, Social Media by EliciaBasoli - 3 Comments →

As the saying goes, sometimes the best conversations take place around the dinner table. This was certainly true at the M2Moms conference . Colleague Caroline Pierce and I crossed paths with incredible mom marketers at the conference and enjoyed amazing ideation conversations over dinner with eleven amazing women. Didn’t hurt that dinner was at Table Fifty-Two on Elm Street. Beyond the food (some of us are still talking about the Three Cheese Mac and Art’s Hummingbird Cake), and the chance to meet Chef Art, there was terrific connection and conversation. Our dinner guests shared their top 11 takeaways from M2Moms. Here’s what they had to say:

1. One key influencer is more important to your brand than numbers.
2. A social media campaign is greater than sum of its CPM parts. With brand ambassadors – loyalty is priceless.
3. It’s the Me + You era and marketing is about fostering sustainable relationships.
4. There are 6 Universal Tugs that influence 75% of moms’ decision marking – savings, health, environment, feel good, convenience and family. Brands need to highlight how their product solves for them in their marketing. They also need to be aware of “drag” tugs that may pull them down and compensate for them. So, if your product is not good for the environment, it better be really convenient, and save you money.
5. I liked learning what brands and agencies need to know (the gaps they are currently facing) to tap into the mom demographic and their attempts to fill that gap.
6. Mobile is quickly becoming Mom’s “first screen” (used to be TV and then laptop but now moms are turning to their phones more and more frequently to accomplish their online tasks). When creating a mobile app for mom- don’t try to create the Taj Mahal. Create an app that does one thing really, really well and then push updates based on the real time feedback you’ll get. (Oh, and free apps are downloaded more frequently, stay on phones longer, and get used 6X more than paid apps).
7. Mom’s primary goal now is spending quality time with her kids and family. She’s looking for products and services that help her do that.
8. Moms are optimistic! They’ve had a tough year (with lost jobs, reduced hours, and often extra family members moving into the household) yet remain confident that things will get better. (They have plans to make major purchases, believe the job situation will improve, and think things will be more positive next year).
9. Moms are proud of what they’re doing as family caregivers and have a big desire to share and broadcast their lives as moms online.
10. Moms in nontraditional families, minority moms (including those with disabilities), and stay at home/ highly involved dads increasingly expect marketers to recognize (and celebrate) them. Marketers who continue to focus only on white Mom+Dad+2.5 kid families will alienate a lot of spending power!
11. I have spent my life under applying mascara. Thanks to the Dior team I now know I need to really lather it on!!! (you had to be there to get this one)

Thank you to: Jyl Johnson Pattee, Kat Eden, Erica Mallett, Caroline Knorr, Ashley O’Brien, Shelley Delfino, Carolin Pierce, Donna Mirus Bates, Jennifer Burkitt, Rachael Herrscher, Jill Rourke. Lady Gaga might have been there in spirit. She sat at our same table one month prior.

Filed under: 360 Public Relations, Blogger Relations, Consumer Marketing, Events and Conferences, Social Media by Admin - 1 Comment →

By John LeRoy

This past Friday I was lucky enough to hear some great presentations made by fellows of the Society for New Communications Research (SNCR) at Stanford University.  It was great to hear from some brilliant academics including SNCR Senior Fellow Jonathan Salem Baskin, whose presentation really stuck with me.

Jonathan spoke about the “Histories of Social Media,” which also happens to be the title of his latest book.  The title threw me off a bit, as I expected that this would be a timeline of the various technologies used in social media today.  Boy, was I wrong.  Jonathan went on for about 30 minutes about his main point – while the technologies used in social media are new, the connections that can be made between the social media and various historical events go back for centuries.  The comparisons, which might take a few minutes to truly “get”, were profound and thought-provoking.

To give you a better idea of what I mean, here are a couple of the highlight comparisons:

• When examining the topic of community, which is at the core of modern social media, Jonathan questions whether or not they are supposed to be built to “last forever” as many marketers strive to do when they launch a new community.  He compared modern social networks to villages in the old days, which would be abandoned once all of the usable resources had been exhausted.  This thought beckons the question, “Should we eventually move on to something different, or should we want our community to last forever?”
• Jonathan compared oral tradition to a wiki.  This goes to say in the same way that we are able to create and edit information with ease using wikis, oral tradition allowed our ancestors to create, and change, stories that were passed down from generation to generation.  In a similar vein, Jonathan argues that folklore is an example of crowd sourced information.  New technologies now make it easier for us to do the same things, but this does not mean that they are original ideas.

These examples just scratch the surface of how deeply this book looks into the correlations between history and social media, and I am looking forward to reading it.  You can learn more about Histories of Social Media here.

Filed under: Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, Social Media by Admin - 4 Comments →

I just spent a couple of days surrounded by leaders in the PR industry, at the Council of PR Firms annual Critical Issues Forum.  One clear take-away for me is that this is an industry that’s more than bouncing back.  It’s invigorated – with ideas, new technologies and new ways to help brands fuel conversation, particularly in social media.

Another key take-away: PR’s value has grown tremendously in the new communications economy.  This was articulated by CMOs and senior communications officers from P&G, Heineken, IKEA, AT&T, American Express and Monster Worldwide.

The “huge shift” in how marketers advance their brands is peer-to-peer recommendations, said Heineken USA CMO Christian McMahan, who cited Trip Advisor as a shining example of a brand benefiting from peer-to-peer communications.

“The only way we’re going to get there is not paid media – it’s by earning the trust of consumers through peer recommendations,” added Leontyne Green, CMO for IKEA USA.

Building trust by listening to customers and through transparent, authentic conversation have always been core PR competencies.  That’s one of the reasons PR is driving the hottest area of brand communications – social media.

“PR is the most authentic form of marketing,” said P&G CMO Marc Pritchard, fresh off successful campaigns for P&G’s Old Spice, Head & Shoulders and Olympic Games campaigns.  “PR is the megaphone that amplifies the campaign,” Pritchard explained.

PR can also spark the conversation.  A successful campaign today can start with just 10 of the right influencers if the platform and the delivery are compelling, with social media as the thread that keeps the conversation going.

A third and final take-away: Big ideas can come from anywhere – advertising, PR, research, customer service – and what makes the big idea bigger is integration.  The fact is there are a lot of big ideas and your brand and your idea are in the most competitive communications environment marketers have known.  “From a PR perspective, you need to bring in people who understand [broader] marketing.  There’s no way you cannot be integrated,” said Monster Worldwide CMO Ted Gilvar.

For more, read Advertising Age’s coverage of Marc Pritchard’s remarks to the Council of PR Firms, and check out the Council’s Twitter stream.

Filed under: Digital PR, Events and Conferences, Industry Organizations, PR Industry, Social Marketing, Social Media by LauraTomasetti - 2 Comments →